Ford F-150 Lightning Production Said to Be Cut in Half in 2024
After eliminating a shift at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan in October, Ford is apparently about to cut F-150 Lightning production in half due to changing demand in the U.S.
Not so long ago, remember, the automaker reiterated that it aimed to triple output to 150,000 units by the end of 2023.
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According to a memo sent to suppliers, a copy of which wound up in the hands of Automotive News, Ford plans to assemble around 1,600 trucks a week instead of 3,200 (when production was at its peak) starting in January. The official current weekly output is not disclosed.
The same document reportedly indicates that production of conventionally powered F-150s in Michigan and Missouri will remain steady. In a statement shared with some U.S. media outlets on Monday, Ford said it "will continue to match production to customer demand."
Earlier this fall, chief financial officer John Lawler acknowledged that the EV segment was “growing at a slower pace than the industry and, quite frankly, we expected."
While the F-150 Lightning had its best month ever in November, U.S. sales through the first 11 months of 2023 barely topped 20,000 units, according to data posted by Automotive News. Canadian sales are not immediately known.
Ford, which lost the equivalent of $1.7 billion due to the 41-day UAW strike this fall, has decided to push back some $16 billion in EV investments, including the opening of a battery plant in Kentucky with partner SK On.
